Donald Trump’s announcement of a fee hike for H-1B visa holders caused a stir in the Indian tech world. Extremists on 4chan launched a campaign to disrupt flight bookings for Indians, a conspiracy they believed was a conspiracy.
On September 19, 2025, Donald Trump announced that H-1B visa holders would now have to pay higher fees. This announcement caused a panic in the Indian tech world, as those who had been abroad for any reason had only two days to return. Many were home in India, while others were vacationing outside the US. All major companies ordered their employees to return to the US by the deadline. However, Trump and his extremist allies made every effort to prevent Indians from returning to the US within that deadline. This was a sinister conspiracy.
On America’s notorious far-right platform, 4chan, extremist users launched a well-planned campaign, which they called “Clog the Toilet.” The campaign aimed to deliberately disrupt the booking system for flights from India to the US. Users were asked to search for flights from India to the US, access the checkout page, but not complete the booking.
The aim was to create technical overload on airline websites, making it difficult for Indian H-1B visa holders to book tickets. Many messages on 4chan contained racial slurs and openly stated that Indians should be prevented from returning to the US.
Campaign Methodology
- Some users created an open message or thread on 4chan. The thread explicitly stated that H-1B holders returning to the US from India needed to be made more difficult. This message originated with a small group and quickly spread through reposts and comments by other agitated users. The thread contained hateful language and provocative messages to attract more people.
- Campaigners identified specific routes and popular flights (such as Delhi-New York, Mumbai-Dallas, etc.), choosing routes with the highest demand for H-1B holders from India. It was then discussed that attacking peak booking windows would be more effective.
- Participants in the thread were instructed (or encouraged) to visit airline/agency sites, search for tickets, proceed to checkout, but not complete payment or booking. This tactic, in a theatrical way, was to create temporary “occupancy” or confusion in the website’s booking flow, preventing genuine travelers from accessing available seats.
- The campaign wasn’t limited to technical disruptions. By circulating messages on 4chan and other related platforms, and using racist/harassing comments, they also sought to instill fear and panic among Indian travelers, forcing them to rush into purchasing expensive tickets.
- Many users posted claims like “I locked X seats” on the thread. These claims were intended to encourage each other and create a spectacle of the campaign’s success. Some claims exaggerated the actual impact.
Such campaigns are clearly malicious and unethical. They target people’s livelihoods and safety. Platforms and law enforcement must identify and prevent such patterns, and public discourse must condemn these techniques.
Impact on Indian professionals
Major tech companies like Microsoft, JPMorgan, and Meta have instructed their employees to return to the US before the September 21st deadline. This has led to a rush among thousands of Indian visa holders to book tickets. Amrutha Tamnam, a tech professional from Andhra Pradesh, said that repeated attempts to book tickets were unsuccessful, and when she finally found one, she had to pay double the price, nearly $2,000.
Several 4chan users claimed to have “locked” hundreds of seats, making it difficult for other passengers to secure tickets. However, Air India told AFP that no major disruptions were observed on its website.
Hate-Spreading Strategy
Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, said the campaign was purely intended to create panic. She warned that platforms like 4chan can indoctrinate people into extremist ideologies and have been the source of the manifestos of several American attackers.
